


Forever Trapped (In Our Minds)

by AudrianDae



Category: Digitalta's Digital Wonderland
Genre: Inception Vibes, Mega Confusion, Prison AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22895176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AudrianDae/pseuds/AudrianDae
Summary: Digitalta was a wasteland. Too many criminals had committed arson, and the the small island simply couldn't rebuild fast enough.The only place that people lived in that was more comfortable that anywhere outside of it was the Prison.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 17
Collections: Digitalta’s Fics





	1. Living Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashleigh gets themself into prison.

**Year XXXX. Island: Digitala. Population: 75**

Ashleigh was sick of the world. The small island known as Digitala was almost a wasteland due to all the criminals. There was a disproportionate amount of people committing arson or murder compared to general thieves. The criminals that were caught were put in prison. Those outside the prison had to fend for themselves. But the prisoners… They were not treated too horribly, as Ashleigh had seen from their prison visits.

They had walked for nearly half an hour to reach the prison, but paused several feet before the gate. They double checked their belongings. All they had was the clothes off their back, their ukulele and their small bag of art materials.

Ashleigh bit their lip, tasting the sharp metallic tang of blood. The sun was nearly in the middle of the sky. If they didn't hurry up, they might miss the chance to eat lunch. There was a guard standing behind the gate, and they assumed another one was inside the guard house on the other side of the gate.

“Hi, I’d like to be put in prison, please.” Ashleigh told the guard behind the gate.

The guard, who Ashleigh later knew as Max, stared at them for a beat.

“Kid,” she said, though she couldn't have been more than 20. “Take my advice. You _don't_ want to be in there. It's like a living hell.”

Ashleigh shook their head, gesturing behind them. “See that? It’s a living, burning hell out here. Besides, it's either in there, or down there.” They pointed straight down. “I think prison may be better.”

The guard gave them a sad look before raising her hand to her earpiece.

“Madam, we have another nut case.” She paused. “By their own will.” Another pause. “Yes ma'am.”

Max lowered her walkie talkie as the gate opened. “Come. I’ll have to take your stuff, and you’ll have to change, then I’ll show you around.”

Ashleigh reluctantly gave Max their ukulele and art supplies, though she assured them that the psychiatrists would let them use it during their visit.

After changing into a disgustingly orange jumpsuit, Ashleigh was taken around the prison. They nodded along to Max’s explanations of each room. There was a medical bay behind the guard house. The psychiatrist’s place was outside the main prison. Inside, the cells are in the middle of the prison. There was a solitary confinement area, a small library, an exercise area, the guards’ area, the kitchen, the dining room, the showers and the bathroom.

Considering the world outside the prison was where they used to live, this was quite an upgrade. Ashleigh turned to thank Max, but she was standing at the door of the dining area. Ashleigh’s stomach sank. They were announced as a new prisoner, then ushered into the dining area. One person stood out to them amongst the crowd of people staring at them. Their face lit up as they spotted Ashleigh.

“Guppy!” Their friend said their old nickname excitedly. They patted the seat next to them.

Ashleigh blinked, slightly shocked, then smiled. “It's good to see you, Dae.”

They quickly got their food (which was a vast improvement from having nothing) and sat next to their friend. Dae introduced them to those sitting nearby. Cleo, in for serial killing and necromancy, or so they said. Ashleigh didn't quite believe them. Jay, in for killing a transphobic person after he insulted them. (Ashleigh gave them an appreciative high five), and the few other people within their view.

“So, are you going to go by Guppy now?” Dae asked randomly. “Most people don't keep their names from the outside world once they’re in here. You’re still used to me calling you Guppy, so the shift should be easy. Besides, everyone’s first impression of you was me saying ‘Guppy’.”

A little blown away, Ashleigh, or Guppy now, they supposed, nodded. Cleo took over the conversation, explaining about the prison owner, Kae, the guards and the psychiatrists. They mentioned how Max was the only nice guard, and how you should always avoid Sketch. Sketch was basically Kae’s right hand, and followed her commands to the letter. Cleo then pointed out some of the people in the room, mentioning them as gang leaders. Guppy had been mostly focused on the bowl of food before them, but they paused.

“Sorry, did you say _gang leaders?_ ” Guppy paused, looking closely at Cleo. Specifically, their ears. “They let you have ear rings??”

Jay nodded across from Guppy. “Yep. If you're well behaved for long enough, they give you more privileges. About gang leaders, yes, and there have been gang wars before as well. Happens nearly every week over something or another.”

A bell rang somewhere. Everyone stood and filed to the door. Dae pulled Guppy to their feet.

“We have free time now. Where do you want to go?”

“The psychiatrist?”

Dae grimaced. “I have a session today.” They said, though they did not seem happy about it.

The two made small talk about the outside world versus the human world and how things had changed in the couple years Dae had been in prison. Guppy felt a stab of guilt. They hadn't visited Dae for more than a year. A good friend would have been there once a month. Guppy was supposed to be a good friend. They had owed them that much.

Upon reaching the psychiatrist’s, Guppy knocked on the door nervously. They had no idea what the psychiatrist was like or how they would treat them.

“Come in.”

Dae entered first, followed closely by Guppy. The inside was a rather odd room, having a clock by the door and little else other than the desk and a couple chairs. The psychiatrist seemed surprised to see them.

“Dae!” She smiled, then looked at Guppy. “You must be the newcomer. What's your name, dear?”

“Guppy. I just wanted to see if I could use my ukulele?”

“Of course, Guppy. I’m Meg. It’s in the side room. Would you mind staying there to play? Dae and I have a session. Thank you.”

Guppy nodded and slipped into the room. It was separated only by a glass door, which Guppy left partially open. They picked up their ukulele, quickly tuning it with ease. While playing, Guppy strained to listen in to Dae and Meg’s conversation. They only heard the scratching of pencils on paper. Whatever they were doing, Guppy stopped attempting to listen, since it was considered rude to eavesdrop.

They returned their attention to their playing. Time passed quickly, and all too soon, Guppy had to leave their ukulele with the psychiatrist once more. Dae was in their head as the two walked back inside. Guppy hummed to themself, trying to fill the silence that surrounded them all the way to the exercise area.

It seemed to be a group activity that everyone had to be at. Guppy paused upon entering and seeing the different machines, not knowing how any of them worked. In the outside world, there was no such technology. Thankfully, Cleo came to Guppy's rescue. They briefly explained the function of each thing in the room. Just as Guppy began to use one of the treadmills, Cleo shouted a warning.

“Not that one!”

Fear was evident in their voice. Guppy stepped off, confused, and nearly bumped into someone. They recognised her as one of the gang leaders in the prison. Taller and darker than them, with a lot of sass, if Gippy remembered Cleo’s explanation correctly. What was her name again?

“You're in my spot, newbie.” She said. “Move.”

Guppy backed away from the treadmill. “Sorry?”

It was then that Guppy realised how utterly and completely screwed they were. The room had gone silent. They tensed. Did they accidentally trigger a beatdown? Jay had said that it could happen over anything. The gang leader was glaring at them more intensely now.

“I’m extremely sorry for using your treadmill.” Guppy said quickly. “Please forgive me.”

They turned to Cleo, who was being held back by someone Guppy didn't recognise. Before they could walk away, they were grabbed by the shoulder. Instinctively, Guppy removed the hand and spun back around defensively.

“This one’s a fighter.” The gang leader announced, grinning dangerously. “How would you like to join my gang?”

A few people cheered loudly. Others looked down right murderous.

“They’re a freelancer. Under my protection.” The one who had held back Cleo earlier stepped forward. “Back off, Darcy.”

“Quite the Robinhood, aren't you.” Darcy sneered.

Bella! That was her name. Imprisoned for attempting to pull a Robinhood, and failing. Somewhat of a mother figure to Cleo, and their friends. She protected a lot of the younger people in the prison, and like them, was an outcast.

“I can still beat your ass in a fair wrestling match.” Bella mentioned. “There's a reason why you don't mess with me and mine, _remember?_ ”

There was some history between them that Guppy didn't catch, but they could feel the tension in the room. It was so thick they could cut it with a knife. Darcy glared at Bella one more time before backing off and getting on her treadmill. Guppy released a breath they didn't realise they were holding. The room filled with the sounds of machinery working and metal clanking.

They had voluntarily gotten themself into this mess, and there was no way out.

“Fuck.”

~~~~~

Guppy laid in their bed, staring at the ceiling of the cell. They were processing the events that had happened that day. Dae had an odd fear of the psychiatrists. Bella had protected them, but didn't even know them. Had Cleo asked her to do something, or was it of her own free will? Due to their many years in the outside world, Guppy did not trust easily. They sighed, turning their thoughts to their surroundings.

Two people spoke, each taking turns to say one word that vaguely related to the word said by the other person. They recognised Jay as one of the speakers, and sometimes they’d hear Cleo pipe up as well. In the background, Dae sang an oddly sad song about empty tables and chairs. 

Time was irrelevant after midnight, when everyone was in their cells. Guppy had nine hours until they _had_ to wake up, though most people were up at eight, and some at the crack of dawn. They continued staring at the ceiling, wondering what the next day would bring. Afterall, they had only walked in during lunchtime. Who knows what else could happen?


	2. Madam's Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kae would never admit it, but Sketch was the closest thing she had to a child. 
> 
> More insight on who the Madam is, and the one person she is closest to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT IS HERE. Finally! You guys have been waiting for this for a while, and I finally got the inspiration to write the last parts. Enjoy!

Kae glanced at the prisoners milling about. Their freetime had just ended, and they streamed into the dining area. Her earpiece crackled with static. After a second, Sketch’s voice came through. 

_“Prisoners Bella and Darcy have nearly gotten into a fight again, madam. They are not hostile right now, but they’ve both been glaring daggers at each other the whole day.”_

“Leave them be.” Kae said offhandedly. “Allow them to provoke each other. Perhaps we will finally have a chance to be rid of the little devil.” 

She noted the way that Sketch sighed,  
lips twisting in cruel amusement. Sketch was too forgiving. They allowed their emotions to control them, and that was a weakness Kae had been trying to remove from them. She would never admit it, but Sketch was the closest thing she had to a child. They’d been in her care for most of their life, though some of the older guards disagreed on her treatment of them. 

Sketch uttered an affirmative. Her earpiece went silent. Kae found herself almost longing to hear Sketch’s voice, but stopped. She analysed the thought then discarded it. Emotions made you weak. They made you vulnerable. Kae’s control had slipped. She hissed, pacing the floor furiously. To expect Sketch to be strong while she herself was weak was an annoyance to her. 

_“Madam, we have another nut case.”_ A guard announced into her earpiece. 

Kae raised an eyebrow, all anger fading. “Is this one here voluntarily?” The last person who came in had been brought by a friend. It had ruined them, but also made them so much more fun to watch. 

_“By their own will.”_

“Let them in.” Kae smiled cruelly. “Show them around and bring them to the dining area. I’ll be watching them. The prisoners have been… uninteresting for a long time.”

_“Yes ma'am.”_

Kae’s hand raised to her earpiece. It was almost time for her plan to begin. 

“Sketch, there's a new one. Make sure Max is doing her job right. She's always so… lax on the prisoners.”

_“Of course, Madam. Anything for you.”_

Sketch always said that with such conviction. Once, Kae had asked them to prove they would do anything for her. Sketch had smiled at her, the trust in their eyes blinding Kae to the fact their hands had been shaking as they plunged a knife into their own leg. The dismal smile given both burned and soothed them at the same time. The next day, Sketch was promoted to Head Guard. 

Adel had only frowned in disapproval upon hearing the news from Sketch. They were lucky none of their nerves had been badly injured, or they could've lost all control of their leg, or sliced their artery open and bled out. Unlike Kae, Adel was rather vocal in her care for Sketch. She had gently explained to Sketch that the Madam was not a suitable guardian for them. No real guardian would ask you to prove yourself in such a way, she had explained. But Sketch had already been caught in the trap of Kae’s barely there affection. 

~~~

Kae stood at the top level of the prison, looking down on the prisoners. Her star guard, Sketch, looked up at her then back at the prisoners. Kae would never admit it, but she saw Sketch as her own. The young guard had always followed her orders without hesitation. They did everything for her, giving out the harshest punishments Kae could think of. 

She had watched them in pride as they had diffused several prison fights and other similar issues. Kae had trained them well, forcing them into submission with only hints of pride and affection to fuel Sketch to their highest potential. Unfortunately, there had been one time that Sketch had failed at their job. 

_There had been a full blown prison fight, where only a few prisoners were not engaged. Sketch and the other guards went in to knock out the troublemakers. Unseen by all, Kae had watched with bated breath as the prisoners separated Sketch from the other guards and attacked them ferociously. They had disappeared under the mass of people, and only the sound of blows landing against their body could be heard over Kae’s earpiece._

_Just as the other guards managed to break the crowd blocking them from Kae’s precious child, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through their earpieces. Kae had to maintain her air of confidence and dismissal as she made her way downstairs. All of the prisoners would suffer for this. None would be spared from the wrath of the almighty Madam. Her boots clacked against the floor, deadly and threatening._

_“Guards, inform me. Who was the instigator of this… mess.”_

_Lifting her chin, she stared down the nearest prisoner. Kae would not show any sign of fear. She could not even glance towards Sketch, her precious Sketch, as they were taken away. Kae straightened the cuffs of her sleeves._

_“Speak.”_

_“Madam, we believe this was started by that devil, Darcy. She attacked another prisoner, starting the entire fight.” One guard said._

_Kae had never bothered to learn any of their names apart from Sketch. That Darcy would suffer. Both at her hand and at the hands of her beloved Sketch._

_“And the injury obtained?” Her eyes hardened as she tried to keep concern from showing through._

_“Head Guard Sketch has a deep gash in their left thigh. They have been sent to the medical bay, where Guard Skip is tending to their wound. What is to become of the prisoners?”_

_Kae turned away in feigned disinterest. The left thigh was Sketch’s only physical weakness due to their self inflicted stab wound. No one was supposed to know about it. “Punishment and humiliation of the highest order for the Devil known as Darcy,” she spat. “those who participated heavily shall be locked in solitary for as long as I see fit, and the rest shall suffer by my given order later.”_

_A chorus of ‘Yes, Madam.’ echoed behind her as she left. It was time to see the true damage that had been dealt to her one and only child._

_“Madam.”_

_Sketch immediately attempted to stand at attention, though they had lost a lot of blood. They would do anything for Kae’s affection._

_“Lie down. Explain.” Kae commanded._

_She watched with veiled satisfaction as Sketch obeyed with a crumpled expression. The child was so young, which had made them malleable._

_“I was separated from the other guards and beaten to the floor. That prisoner… one of them pulled a knife? Maybe it was a pipe, and stabbed it into my leg. Later, they got moved and they ripped it out.” Sketch gestured to their leg. “I apologise for not being more aware.” Their voice was soft, meek and had a tinge of longing._

_Kae pushed, wanting their desperation to grow until the breaking point before breaking them once more._

_“As you should. Due to your lack of foresight, you have been injured. From now until you recover, you and your injury will be a liability.” Kae paused to let the word sink in. She could see it wreaking havoc in Sketch’s head. Their eyes glistened. Perfect. “Recover, child. Then you can return to your post and seek revenge.”_

_Confusion flashed in their eyes. Kae’s mood always changed drastically whenever they least expected. Sketch nodded, relief flooding their expression. Kae could read them like a book. Their emotions made them easier to use than a light switch. Pleased, Kae left the medical ward to plan the timely demise of the devil._

Sketch’s wound took weeks to heal, and it never fully recovered. Though Sketch never admitted it, it was clear to Kae that their leg pained them even months later. Revenge had been taken forcefully, as Sketch had dragged the devil to the torture room and released their hatred upon her. Kae had encouraged them to leave their own mark of shame upon the girl. 

The two left, leaving Darcy on the floor with words carved into her back. _Devils don't fly._

~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! I hope you enjoyed this! Leave a review to let me know if you did! <33


	3. Prison Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight breaks out in the prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to come out but chapter three is finally here!!!

Cleo smiled at Skip as they walked by her. Skip was the nicest guard in the prison. At least, she was to them. Any other prisoner would say Max was the nicest, but Cleo had formed a good relationship with Skip. Peb was also nicer to Cleo than to the other prisoners, likely due to their aversion to starting trouble. Of course, Cleo had yet to start trouble, but they'd always be there when trouble happened. No one could resist the temptation of a prison fight when it happened.

"What happened to Darcy's ear? It looks like someone took a bite out of it..." Guppy commented to Cleo.

Cleo stiffened slightly, having seen Darcy behind them, and she looked incensed. "Ah, that's an ugly injury isn't it? Well, she angered the Madam, and the Head Guard, Sketch. They taught her a lesson for it. I hear the Head Guard keeps the ear they ripped off her as a trophy."

As they had hoped, Darcy's wrath turned onto Cleo instead of staying on Guppy. The guards would intervene before anything got too messy. Right?

"Ugly injury? Would you like a matching one?" Darcy snarled at Cleo, towering over them slightly.

From the corner of their eye, Cleo could see Guppy's terrified expression. They hoped Guppy wouldn't get too involved and obtain their first fight injury within their first week of being in the Prison. Darcy glanced towards Guppy, and Cleo raised their voice to bring the attention back to them.

"No, but maybe I could even out your head a bit if I removed your other ear. Maybe you'd have better balance then too, because the volume of sound entering your ears would be more equal."

Cleo barely managed to avoid the fist aimed for his throat. They knew that they had started a fight and they couldn't back down now.

"Arc! Rise and fight this pain in the arse." They called. "It's been a while since we've had a good brawl."

Darcy's gang and the other prisoners seemed to catch onto the mini fight going on between the two. Pain flared through their veins as Arc came back to life from wherever she was. Cleo only had to distract Darcy long enough for Arc to arrive. Bella stepped in and deflected one of Darcy's blows. Cleo shot her a grateful look.

"What do you think you're doing, coming after Cleo?"

The prisoners crowded around the two, watching with bated breath. Everyone was itching to see, and in some cases, feel, the thrill of a fight. Darcy flushed in anger.

"Attacking the little brat for taunting me. They'll get what they deserve." Darcy attempted to push past Bella.

"Now, now, Darcy. Let's talk it out."

"Watch out!" Dae called, just a millisecond before Darcy took advantage of Bella's guard dropping.

Darcy swept Bella's legs out from under her and charged at Cleo. From there, all hell broke loose. Cleo lost sight of Guppy in the crowd of everyone throwing fists at everyone else. They dropped to the floor, feeling the burn of their powers taking its toll. Darcy pinned them down, placing the flat of a blade against their face. She stabbed it into the floor beside their face, then lost her grip as someone pulled her off him.

Cleo got caught up in the fighting, ignoring the internal pain from their distanced necromancy. Everything hurt. It was a side effect of necromancing, but this pain seemed to be worse than normal. Their head pounded in beat with their heart. They can't have gotten that close to Arc already, could they? The more emotional connection a necromancer had to their victim, the worse it would hurt. As they had learned, more practice of necromancy led to more pain for necromancing certain bodies, and less for others.

The guards started coming in to diffuse everything. Half of the prisoners backed off, but the other half seemed to have pinned down the Head Guard. Fifi and Shimi distracted Skip and Peb from getting too close. The prison was severely understaffed with guards. If a rebellion happened, the guards wouldn't be able to stop the prisoners from escaping.

"You're bleeding." Bella gestured to their head. "You and pretty much everyone should go to the medical area."

Cleo nodded, trying to peek around her and see what had happened to the Head Guard. Muffled protests and the sound of fighting filled their ears. They were drawn to it, as most prisoners were.

"Now, Cleo. Everyone else will figure themselves out. I'm worried about you." She turned them towards the door and marched them outside. A piercing scream cut the air behind them, but Bella's hand between their shoulder blades kept them moving. "Why did you provoke Darcy?"

"I was protecting Guppy from her wrath. Guppy asked about her ear, which is a touchy subject for her, and she heard it. I wanted to draw the attention away from them."

Bella's sigh was a punch to their gut. "How did you know she would have fought Guppy?"

Cleo suddenly found great interest in the floor by their feet. Both of them knew everyone had been itching for a fight for a while. Few people were level headed enough to stay out of the fights.

~~~~~

Cleo sat on one of the beds in the medical area. The scent of sanitiser permeated the air and made Cleo's nose twitch in disgust.

"Hey Addison?"

"Yes, Cleo?" Addison didn't look up from the bandages she was doing on their head.

"How did you upgrade from prisoner to medical staff?"

"Well, I fully explained my situation to my psychiatrist, and she told me that the medical staff could use some help. Turns out Yannie had been holding the fort down by herself and took me on as an assistant. It's different from being a prisoner for sure, but Yannie's been looking out for me and teaching me more medical things."

"She's very nice." Cleo agreed. "How did you end up here in the first place?"

Addison laughed. "It's a funny story."

She had been out late one night, and returned home a bit more drunk than normal. The key hadn't worked when she tried to unlock the door, so she had busted slid in through the window she always left unlocked. There had been people in her house, so she had threatened them and eventually drove them out. An hour later, she had been woken up by people coming in to arrest her.

"Turns out I had gone to the wrong house and frightened my neighbours out of their own house and killed one of them." A frown marred her expression. "That part I don't remember as clearly. I may have thrown a kitchen knife or two, but I didn't intend to kill anyone. Anyway, that's my story."

Cleo blinked a few times. "That's rather ridiculous."

Addison nodded in agreement, then patted them on the shoulder. "Alright, you're fixed. Visit more often, just without the injuries."

Cleo laughed lightly. "I'll keep it in mind." They called as Addison moved onto the next injured person.

~~~~~

It took Cleo two days to convince Bella to allow them to get out of bedrest. The two entered the dining hall. Cleo noticed Bella make an almost direct beeline to sit with Ass and Shimi. Dae and Guppy were already seated together, and Jay was having another word association game conversation with Yu Li. Cleo settled for sitting with Evan after collecting their food. Evan greeted them with a smile. As always their makeup was impeccable. Cleo voiced this to them as they slid into their seat.

"Thanks. How's the head?"

Cleo shrugged, digging into their food.

"In pain, as to be expected. What happened to the Head Guard? Bella pulled me out before I could see."

Evan's expression darkened. "Darcy went a bit crazy in getting her revenge. I'm not entirely sure, but I think their leg got amputated. Same leg that Darcy hit the first time."

"They're going to become more of a cyborg than before." Cleo attempted to joke. It fell flat.

"They're under the Madam's control. It doesn't mean that they're a cyborg. They're as human as you and I." Evan replied.

Cleo turned their attention back to their food, no longer finding it appetising. Their head fell into their hands. They didn't want to do anything today. Their head hurt, and their chest hurt, and everything was in a lot more pain than it should be. Maybe they should've stayed in the medical area today. Cleo's breath turned shallow to stop the pain that radiated from their chest into their entire body.

"You alright, Cleo?"

Bella's voice seemed distant. They barely felt her turn them around. Couldn't focus their eyes on hers as she worried over them. Their hands curled into fists, trying to ground themself back to reality. Cleo was vaguely aware of movement. Walking, but they couldn't feel their own legs, only watching from a space within their head. The environment changed around them. Prison walls turned to dirt paths surrounded by grass. Cleo wondered for the umpteenth time if they were being unmade. They had all the pain, they had dissociated, and all that was left was returning to peace.


	4. A Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guppy talks to the other prisoners and makes a Big Mistake(tm).

Guppy, being new, wanted to learn as much as they could about the other prisoners. They would be in close contact with them for the rest of the foreseeable future. Every meal, they made an effort to ask at least one or two people they hadn't met yet about how they got into the prison. Ani had mass murdered pedophiles for good reason, but hadn't been able to prove that all of them were pedophiles. That, and because murdering was bad. Ass had murdered someone who had murdered someone else. In self defence, according to Ass.

_"Technically, if one murders a murderer, there's still the same amount of murderers in the world." Guppy had commented._

_"Ah, that depends on how many murderers one has murdered." Ass had replied with a wink._

_After murdering the murderer, Ass had called Shimi and asked her to help her hide the body._

_"Shimi... I may have done something Bad."_

_Shimi sighed. "Where's the body?"_

_"Uh... On the floor?"_

_"WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME, ASS!?" Shimi screeched so loud that Ass had to hold the phone away from her ear as she doubled over in laughter._

The two had been caught at the scene of the crime, and no one would believe that Ass had murdered a murderer in self defence and then called Shimi to help clear away the bodies instead of calling the police or an ambulance. Guppy later wondered if there really were no people who deserved to be in jail, or if the owner of the prison was mad. (Both were true.)

Guppy had been too wary to ask Darcy about her story, and decided to ask Cleo instead. Their reply had been short and simple.

"Darcy committed arson with the intent to create a fireworks show that wouldn't kill anyone. She miscalculated the time it took for a firetruck to arrive, and a few people ended up dying."

"What about you, Cleo? What's your story?"

Cleo grimaced. "Serial killing people I didn't know so I could practice resurrecting them. I know," they interrupted Guppy before they could say anything. "I know now that it wasn't the best way to go about doing it.

Guppy raised an incredulous eyebrow at them, as if to say 'oh, really?'

Cleo shrugged, changing the topic seamlessly. 'Care to share your own story?"

Guppy paused, thinking about it. "Well... I walked up to Max, and asked if I could be put in the Prison. She said yes, after consulting the Madam, and here I am."

Cleo looked unconvinced, but when Guppy didn't burst into laughter in the next few seconds, they blinked.

"Wait, seriously?"

Guppy nodded. Their story was rather bland after all. Especially compared to serial killers, arsonists and murderers. Technically they all should have been placed in varying degrees of prison, based on their crime. The world was oddly inconsistent. There appeared to be no cooks, yet food would be there during every meal. Perhaps they are like house-elves, they thought. Never seen but always there.

"Did you know?" They blurted. "House elves in Harry Potter are a lot like women in the past. Both have to do household chores while not being seen or acknowledged."

Dae turned around with wide eyes. "Oh... I never thought about that." Their head tilted to the side. "You can be very perceptive when you want to be."

Guppy was slightly taken aback, both by the compliment and their friend's cryptic comment. Was there something they had missed? The thought plagued them as they shyly went up to a trio of friends in hopes of learning their stories. The three welcomed them into their little circle, openly sharing their stories.

Ron went first, their brown eyes shining in mirth as they spun a tale of arson and stealing, though they were officially in prison for stealing, they had committed arson and gotten away without incident. Ren shared his hopes of joining the medical team, as they had been framed for murder. He was too much of a pushover to refuse. Tanu, like Ron, had been caught stealing something. Her plan had been foolproof, other than her lack of knowledge in any kind of combat. That was her only downfall.

Guppy smiled through their stories, laughing when appropriate, but still distracted by Dae's words. They had definitely forgotten something. They thanked the trio for their stories, waving goodbye. They wandered aimlessly, unsure of what to do with themself. Their mind travelled similarly, so unfocused on their body that they barely noticed running straight into another person. Their mind snapped back to their body painfully, leaving them reeling.

"I'm sorry– I didn't see you." They stammered awkwardly, eyes meeting with someone they had not met yet. The person they had bumped into was half a head shorter than them.

"Don't apologise, dear. I didn't see you either. I'm Adel."

Guppy's brain took a few seconds to reboot. "Oh right– sorry– I'm Guppy. Newest prisoner."

Adel's eyes flicked to the number 14 on their left shoulder.

"I'm a psychiatrist." She explained.

"How many psychiatrists are there?"

"Only three of us. Meg, Lilly and I." Adel smiled. "I'll catch you later. It's been nice to meet you, Guppy."

Only after Adel had disappeared from their view did Guppy realise they had forgotten to return the goodbye.

"I'm too tired for this shit." They pinched the bridge of their nose. "Fuck."

A heavy sigh escaped them. They needed a fucking break.

~~~~~

Guppy treaded down the dirt path, hesitating outside the psychiatrist's office. They never understood why Dae was scared of the psychiatrists. Perhaps it was some intuition of theirs. Dae had always been a bit odder than most, but sometimes their premonitions were correct. Guppy couldn't seem to breathe as they knocked on the door. They entered after the psychiatrist called them in.

"Ah, Guppy. Right on time." Adel was sitting behind the desk, fingers interlaced on the table.

Guppy blinked several times. "Oh. Adel. Hi. Sorry for not saying goodbye earlier... I was a bit distracted."

Adel only smiled, gesturing to the chair opposite from her. “You still are, it seems. Please sit, I don’t bite.”

Guppy sat, deciding that Adel was probably telling the truth. Their hands fidgeted without anything to do.

“Why are you in prison, Guppy? What crime did you commit?”

How would they explain that? They just walked up to the guard and asked to be let in.

“Uhh… I… Well, it’s weird.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve had a lot of weird reasons.” Adel encouraged.

“I may or may not have asked to be let into the prison.” Their voice lifted at the end, turning it into a question. “The outside world is such a mess, and I’ve visited before, and it’s not like the people here are starving and getting into fistfights for food like everyone outside is.” Guppy rambled. “I mean, there's clean water, and food, and actual beds.”

“Then why ask to be a prisoner? Why not offer your services as a guard, or medical staff, or anything other than a prisoner?” Adel cut in, leaning forward with her fingers interlaced.

Guppy blinked. They hadn’t thought of that. They’d only considered how they could get into the prison. Prisoner was probably the stupidest thing they could have thought of. They didn't have any knowledge of first aid other than slapping a bandage on it and hoping it healed by itself.

“You could talk to the Madam if you wanted it badly enough.”

In retrospect, Adel had given them a big warning with her body language and tone. She was terrified of the Madam and Guppy should have been too. They had been too caught up in the idea of being better that they didn’t notice it then.

“That would be a good idea. Thank you, Adel.” Guppy stood. “I’ll ask one of the guards if I can talk to the Madam.”

Adel nearly called out to them as they left, but the words stuck in her throat. She lowered her head into her hands, screaming silently. Another innocent child would be corrupted by the Madam, and she didn't stop them.

~~~~~~

“Max, I… could you…” Guppy paused. “I want to speak to the Madam.”

Max inhaled sharply, then choked.

“What?” She wheezed.

“I want to speak to the Madam.” They repeated.

Max looked at Guppy as if they were crazy.

“Kid, that lady is not one to be dealt with… I’m sorry. Please don’t ask me to do this.” Max shook her head.

Guppy shrugged. “I’ll ask someone else then.”

Again, Guppy should have seen the worried looks they were given. They should have noticed how she tried to call out to them again. But determination was both their friend and their enemy that day.

“The Madam will meet you in the library in an hour.” The guard said. Skip, according to their name tag. “Don’t be late.”

Guppy nodded in thanks. They had some time to kill before meeting the Madam, so they waited for Cleo outside of the other Psychologist’s room. Ten minutes later, they came out. They were surprised to see Guppy pacing nervously outside. Guppy's thoughts had been whirring so violently, they barely noticed Cleo's words.

“Do you know what it's like, to be unmade?” Cleo asked.

Guppy's head snapped up, then tilted slightly. “I'm sorry? Explain?”

“A metaphor… for when I necromance. When they die, they’re unmade… but when I bring them back, they’re remade.” Cleo said. “That's what Arc says at least. Pain spreads through your entire body. It feels like the threads of reality unravel. Then you too, become nothing but a pile of uncoiled rope. It's like being unmade.” They rambled. “Sometimes I think I’m being unmade.”

“Because it hurts all the time?” Guppy prodded gently.

Cleo flinched. “I- I didn't say that.”

“You didn't have to.” The third psychologist stepped outside. “Do you need more time, Cleo?”

“This is Lilly.” They muttered to Guppy. “Okay…” Cleo scratched the back of their neck and waved to Guppy, retreating back inside.

Guppy stood alone in the courtyard once more. They sighed heavily. They truly were all alone. Cleo clearly had secrets they’d rather keep hidden. Even Dae had changed since they had known them. But of course, prison does that to you. Guppy entered the library five minutes early. The Madam was already seated.

"Do sit." The Madam's smile was almost feral.

They slid into the seat opposite from her.

"So Guppy. I was told you with to speak with me?"

"Yes, Madam- I"

"Oh please. You can call me Kae. No one uses my name. It'll be a fresh change." She laced her fingers together and placed them on her lap.

“Oh. Alright then, uh, Kae. I’d like to be a guard.” Guppy told Kae.

“This is why you’ve come to me? Give me a reason why I should even consider it.” She leaned back as if uninterested.

Guppy panicked. “I know a lot of information about the other prisoners. They’ve planned to revolt, and that Darcy is the mastermind of that. She only wants to get Bella on her side before attempting it. Bella appears to be one of the stronger, or maybe more influential prisoners. Cleo claims to be a necromancer, and it appears to be a well known fact within the prisoners.” Guppy hesitated after the last fact. Wouldn’t she already know that?

“The information you have given me is very... valuable. I have no spies within the prisoners as of now. Would you be willing to be mine?” Madam Kae’s face twisted into a demonic grin.

Guppy couldn’t say no, that much they knew. Saying no would be accepting death. They nodded with as much confidence as they could muster. They had made bad choices before, but deciding to talk to Kae was probably the worst.

~~~~~

How many mistakes does it take to make a failure? How many failures does it take to ruin a life? How many lives would Guppy ruin by serving The Madam? The answer? All those in the prison.

Everyone was gathered outside the main prison block. There were some faces that Guppy didn't recognise as prisoners. The Madam turned her attention to a kneeling figure in front of her. A prisoner, by the look of their attire. Guppy squinted to get a better look. Was that blood?

“Ah, how embarrassing it must be for you to be singled out in front of everyone you know.” The Madam sneered.

Guppy couldn't believe that The Madam’s real name was something as mundane as ‘Kae’. She was too terrifying to have such a name. The one kneeling didn't respond.

“Pitiful.” The Madam then spoke to the crowd. “You are all gathered here today to witness the execution of Bella. The supposed protector of those separate from any gangs. The Freelancers, I believe they are called? A little _fish_ told me that you are the strongest prisoner.”

Eyes bored into the back of Guppy’s head. They could feel it, and wished that they could disappear into the floor. There was a sad tinge of betrayal. It was heavy in the air, almost crushing.

“As it seems, there is one who could perhaps save you. Your little necromancer? Cleo?”

Cleo jerked beside them, eyes hard. They glared at the grass as if they could make it burst into flame.

“You could save her, Cleo. When she dies, you can bring her back, and she will not die by my hand again.”

“What's the catch?” They asked. “You wouldn't kill her just to let me save her.”

“The catch,” the Madam drawled. “is that you can only save her under my watch. If not, her body will be tossed into the sea, and float far away before you can revive her.” Her eyes drifted down to Bella’s figure. “For now… you will all watch her die. Or rather, you already have.”

Kae kicked Bella’s body over, revealing several stab wounds littering her chest and stomach. Her eyes stared blankly and accusingly at Guppy. Blood pooled around Bella’s body, staining the grass red.

Guppy couldn't stand to look. Their eyes teared as Cleo screamed bloody murder. Bile gathered at the base of their throat. They barely felt Jay’s tight grip on their shoulders. Barely noticed Dae’s concerned eyes boring into their own. Guppy only stood, shaken and horrified at what their actions had done.

This was their fault.


	5. To Be Unmade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guppy's reality dissolves around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time, I know, but I return with a new chapter!

Dae looked at Guppy with sad eyes. The silent disapproval hurt more than Cleo's explosive anger.

"Why, Gup?" They asked.

Guppy couldn't answer them. Cleo was beside themself in anger. Not anger at Guppy, but at the unfairness of the situation. Bella was _dead._

Bella was dead, and it was all their fault that she was. Any and all sort of apologies or begging would never be enough to make up for her life. Cleo wouldn't meet their eyes as they paced angrily like a caged tiger. Jay leaned against a wall, watching them.

"Do you understand what you've done?" Cleo demanded, turning on them. "The Madam will kill Bella forever unless I break the Necromancer's code."

"You're only looking at the facts she's fed you." Dae commented idly. "There are more options than you think there are."

There's two options that we know. Meaning Dae had seen other options to save her. Outside of starting a rebellion, Guppy couldn't think of any other options. Cleo stilled beside them.

"Starting a rebellion?"

They had said that thought out loud then. Guppy nodded slowly. "Ass and Shimi held off two guards by themselves, and Darcy managed to take down the Head Guard... If they're still injured, the prisoners can easily break out of here..."

"We could go to Max." Jay offered. "She's been trying to get our attention for a while."

All their heads turned to where Max stood. She gestured them over. They approached her cautiously, unsure if she could be trusted.

“I’ve spoken to the guards… They aren't particularly happy about what's going on, but they won't directly disobey the Madam either. The best they’ll do is pretend they didn't see you. Down the hall, in the solitary cell. Good luck.”

Cleo's eyes widened as they thanked her profusely. They ran into the prison, heading down the hall to look for Bella. They had to save her before the order was given to throw her out into the waters. Dae was by their side, making sure they didn't run into any walls at the speed they were going. Guppy trailed at the back, feeling helpless. They were slightly indebted to Bella for saving them from the Devil gang on their first day. Unlike the others, Guppy did not have a strong connection to Bella, as hard as she had tried to form one with them.

“How do we get out though?” They asked no one in particular.

“Dae has a party trick.” Jay muttered. “There's a reason they’re so… The way they are.”

Guppy nodded absently. They had not even known their own friend. Before the apocalypse, and the Prison, the two had been close friends. Until… Guppy shook their head to clear the thought. It hadn't been a good time for either of them. The guards turned a blind eye as Jay hurriedly picked the lock. Cleo burst in, and began chanting as quietly as possible.

Dae shooed them all away so Cleo could work in peace. They all froze as the sound of boots clacking against the floor heralded the arrival of the Madam. She didn't seem as intimidating without Sketch hovering beside her.

“How lovely to see all the rebels in one place.” The Madam called, towering over them. “You have all been horrible children.”

"What does it matter? You've been more horrible than the rest of us combined!" Guppy shot back.

"Fiesty little fish." Kae drawled. "And where's the necromancer? Saving their precious friend?"

"Where's the Head Guard? Lost their precious life?"

The comment struck home. Guppy had mainly guessed the relationship between the two by the way Kae had swooped in to get Sketch out of the mess that had happened just a few days prior. Kae's eyes blazed dangerously. Guppy stood their ground stubbornly, buying as much time as they could for Cleo. Kae brushed past them, storming towards the cell Cleo and Bella were in. God, Guppy hoped Cleo had finished saving her.

An explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet. Guppy barely caught a glimpse of their friends running out of the hole they had created. Kae froze, shocked by the destruction. Guppy seized their chance and bolted out the opening and towards freedom, whatever that was. They managed to find the others along one side of the building. Jay was supporting Cleo, who looked dead on their feet, and Dae was hovering next to Bella, who had literally been dead less than 5 minutes ago.

She waved off Dae's concerns, gesturing to Cleo breathlessly. "Cleo's pretty drained from resurrecting me. They may need some help."

"You were stabbed multiple times. Cleo saved you, but they may not be able to save you if you die again." Dae protested.

Guppy blinked. That was the most feeling they had heard Dae said in their entire stay in the Prison. Upon closer inspection, Dae also seemed rather out of it, swaying slightly on their feet. Guppy exchanged worried glances with Jay. They wouldn't make it out of the Prison without some sort of help. Especially with three of their party either injured or unable to walk properly.

"Hey, Bella, we heard the explosion and came to help."

Guppy nearly jumped out of their skin upon hearing Ass' voice. She and Shimi offered them a hand.

"The Madam's releasing a bunch of monsters onto the Prison. You have to go now." Ass said, helping Bella up.

"Go! We'll take care of this." Bella called to them, staying with Ass and Shimi to hold off a pack of angry monsters.

Cleo fought against them as Guppy and Dae dragged them onwards. Jay lagged behind slightly, throwing glances over their shoulder every now and then. Guppy stopped when they heard Cleo's strangled scream. They turned around, expecting to see Jay, but Jay was gone.

"Well, shit. C'mon Cleo, work with us here, we have to keep moving." They tugged on Cleo's arm, and with Dae's help, they continued onward.

It felt like miles and hours later before they stopped. Cleo's eyes were filled with tears. Their shoulders shook as they sobbed from grief. Cleo had sacrificed so much to bring her back, and now she was gone again. Guppy barely trusted themself to talk, watching Dae attempt to comfort Cleo.

“We… escaped. Now what?”

The threads of reality began to unravel, starting with the scenery. Trees dissolved into dust, blowing away in the wind. Color faded from everything but the people around Guppy. They glanced at Cleo fearfully as they began to disappear. Cleo's expression was almost peaceful as they faded.

“Get up, Ashleigh. It's time for you to wake up.” Dae whispered from behind them. “Wake up.”

Guppy turned, but Dae was already gone. It was just Guppy, alone in an open black space. Though they could not see the edges of the black, claustrophobia began to set in. Their ribs felt as if they were collapsing inwards, crushing their lungs and sending a sharp pain throughout their entire body. They spent what felt like hours on the floor, crying and gasping for air. They were all alone, with no one to stand with them. Their eyes searched wildly for any source of light in the vast darkness.

They wondered if this was how it felt to be unmade.


	6. A Dream Within a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guppy is very very confused with everything. Nothing makes sense anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been absolutely ages since I updated (or at least it feels like it. Quarantine is really messing with my sense of time) and I left off on a bit of a cliff hanger. But here it is. The next chapter. A good 2000+ words, which is more than most of the other chapters are. Enjoy!

The darkness never faded. Nothing seemed to change, except for the fact that Guppy felt like they were falling. They still couldn't see, but the sheer terror that screamed through their veins said everything for them. People say that you always wake up before you hit the ground, but there was no ground to hit.

Guppy only fell faster and faster, knowing that if they ever hit the ground, they would die. Unless they were already dead.The well lit ground appeared far beneath them. It would all be over in a matter of seconds. Guppy braced for impact, eyes slipping shut just before they hit–

They didn't hit anything. Their eyes opened, glancing around to see where they were. Guppy was standing on what seemed to be the same well lit floor they had been certain they would smash into mere seconds ago. Guppy couldn't feel their body. They weren't _standing_. They seemed to float around as an intangible blob.

In front of them, there were sounds of laughter mixed with piercing screams. Light came from a fixed point ahead. Drawn to it, Guppy floated forwards. The light was partially blocked by a figure, who sat at the top of a bone-shaped pillar. Their mind dubbed the figure 'Fate'.

Fate didn't speak, only raising a hand that held what Guppy intuitively knew was their soul. The other hand gestured between the doorways on either side of the bone pillar. Guppy would either go up or down. They didn't particularly like either choice, instead opting to back away and drift back into the darkness. The floor they appeared on was gone. Nothing pulled them back to the doorways, and Guppy didn't turn back.

The darkness went on for what felt like hours. There was nothing, just absolute darkness stretching on forever. Guppy could barely tell they were moving. Only the light getting smaller behind them gave any indication of _anything._ There was no beat, no melody. Their eyes strained for a source of light. Guppy couldn't tell if their eyes were opened or closed. Nothing was real...

~~~~~

Guppy jolted awake. Blurry people hovered around them. Hands pushed them back down onto the bed they were lying on. When did they become tangible? Their eyes squinted, trying to focus and recognise a face, any face. They didn't see Dae, or Cleo, or Bella anywhere. Were they really dead? People were saying a name. Their name? They didn't hear anyone saying 'Guppy', so how could it be them? Then there was one voice, very vaguely familiar, that rang out above all the others.

"GUPPY! No, don't take me away! They're my sibling! Stop!!"

Guppy had a sibling? They didn't remember. Their head spun. Everything was so confusing and unreal, and... distant. Why was everything so far away? For a moment, they remembered a flash of something from _before._

_Guppy twirled, the multicolored skirt around their legs flaring out. Their sister clapped her hands excitedly._

_“It’s so pretty, Ashleigh! You’re like a colorful fish! A Guppy!”_

_“It’s the male guppies that are colorful though.” Guppy frowned slightly._

_“Good thing you’re gender neutral then, isn’t it, Guppy?” She laughed at their startled expression. “It’s okay. You don’t have to wear skirts to be my favorite sibling.”_

Ashleigh? Was that their name as well? They supposed it was. It was the name the worried voices had been calling earlier. Guppy stirred, trying to fight the darkness around them. The darkness...

_Guppy smiled at their friend. They needed a nickname, Guppy thought._

_"What kind of nickname would you like?" They called out to their friend._

_"Anything. Something bright? Something dark? Maybe both?"_

_"The sun is bright. Rays of sun? Ray? The day is bright too. Day?"_

_"Day. What about with an 'e' at the end? Dae. It sounds like day, but means dark. I like it." Their friend smiled._

_"In what language?_

_"Does it matter?" Dae flashed a brilliant smile, dropping down from the tree they were sitting on. "Race you to the hill!"_

There were no trees in Digitalta. There were no hills either. Only cliffs, and ruined buildings crumbling into messy heaps of concrete. Those would never be called hills, even in the eyes of a child. How did they even know about hills if there weren't any?

A child... Guppy could barely remember being a child. They could barely remember anything outside the prison. It was like they had appeared outside the gate of the Prison with only the thoughts of getting in, and few memories of the mess from outside. What if it was all fake? In real life, no one would crumble into dust. No landscapes would lose all color and shape and turn into empty nothingness. It reminded them of Dae's eyes. Guilt stabbed at them, trying to wrench sobs from their throat.

_"Where are you taking me, Guppy? Isn't this the path to the Prison?"_

_"Yes, Dae... I'm sorry."_

_"But why? Why, Gup?"_

_"It's for the best... I promise."_

_"I trust you."_

Could it all be just a figment of their imagination? Was it all a dream? It could have been, if it all didn't feel so real. If Guppy hadn't fallen into the nightmare and decided that staying in the Prison would be the best thing to do. Could they then wish to awaken from the dream and continue living in the real world? Could they escape the dreamscape that they had created? Could they? Could? Could was just cloud spelt differently...

_"Soft and fluffy."_

_"And white!"_

_"Cloud!" The two chorused together, then dissolved into giggles._

_"Cloud is baby." Dae stated. "Absolute baby."_

_Guppy couldn't stop the giggles that burst out of them as Cloud tried to protest._

Guppy focused on what they knew was real. Their friend was Dae. Their sister was Cloud. What about Cleo and Jay, and all the others from the prison? Were they all their friends too? Were they all made up or did Guppy really have so many friends? Everything felt unreal. There was nothing to ground them to reality. No feeling of the floor against their skin. They couldn't remember the last thing that had happened in the real world.

What happened before Guppy walked down the road to the prison? Guppy wracked their brain, searching for the memory.

_"I'm admitting them to the prison. Arson." Guppy told the guard by the gate. They glanced at Dae, who was standing several paces behind Guppy._

_The guard conferred with someone on the other end of the headset._

_"Go ahead." The guard gestured for Dae to go in but stopped Guppy from entering. "Visits first week of every month." They said, obviously bored._

_The gate closed, cutting Guppy off from saying a proper goodbye to Dae._

_They forced themself to ignore Dae calling for them. Guppy's feet took them far away, back to the once grand town in the middle of Digitalta._

_Digitalta. The town was ruined. All that was left were broken down buildings, rubble littering the ground everywhere. Sometimes, if Guppy thought back hard enough, they could almost remember it as it was before._

_But Guppy wasn’t trying to remember Digitalta, they were trying to remember the real world. Their home._

~~~~~

"What can you remember?" Their psy- therapist asked.

Psychiatrists were what they were called in the Prison.

"M-my name is Ashleigh?" They continued, emboldened by the encouraging nod their therapist gave them. "I am 17 years old. I have a younger sister. We gave each other silly nicknames." Gup- Ashleigh. They were Ashleigh now. Their forehead scrunched in concentration. "I don't remember the rest..."

"It's a start." She nodded. "Do you remember the name of your best friend?"

"I don't remember if I had a best friend. I remember a few names... Dae, Cleo, Jay, Yu Li? But... I don't know if those are their real names... They might be nicknames. Some of them are nicknames."

The therapist nodded, noting something down on her clipboard. Ashleigh caught a glimpse of the notes she had taken.

"Retrograde amnesia?" They read off. "That's the one where you forget a lot of things that happened until a certain point... Usually due to head trauma." They managed to see another line before their therapist hid the clipboard. "I don't have trust issues!"

"You read my notes upside down." Their therapist sighed. "Retrograde amnesia occurs when someone has suffered significant head trauma. It makes them forget what happened before the incident, but only up until a certain point. Only memories are affected, and not functionality. The doctors and I suspect you have significant gaps in your memory."

"What head trauma did I suffer?" Gu– Ashleigh asked. "That's the main one I don't remember. The biggest blank."

"I believe that is something I will have to leave to your family to tell you."

Ashleigh remained silent as the therapist scribbled more notes. Their mind whirled, still trying to process the new information fed to them by their therapist. Psychiatrist?

"What's the difference between psychiatrists and therapists?"

"The main difference is that therapists are seen once a week, and they are not licensed to prescribe medication. Psychiatrists are seen every month, just for a quick check up to see if they need to prescribe a different kind of medication. Why?" The therapist paused, glancing over her glasses at Ashleigh.

"The facts don't line up." Ashleigh muttered. "I called them psychiatrists in the Prison. Everyone did... They were _therapists_ there. I thought the words meant the same thing..."

Ashleigh's therapist hummed in acknowledgement. "It's a simple enough mistake."

"But for _everyone_ , even the psychiatrists themselves to call themselves psychiatrists when they were all therapists... It doesn't line up." Ashleigh gripped their head, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in their gut. "What if it's not real still? What if I'm still in a dream? Is this another dream?"

They were only vaguely aware of things shifting around them. Shadows were cast across the floor then disappeared in the same way they came. Like a time shift from a movie. Ashleigh raised their head from their hands, frowning at the scene in front of them. They were in the same chair, soft and comforting, but everything else seemed different.

They were on a building with a balcony. The scenery was far away, so they were high up in the air. Across from them, was the biggest source of confusion. A different therapist sat in a chair, looking at them expectantly. She looked familiar, but it was weird. Ashleigh couldn't exactly place who she was.

"How are you today, Ashleigh?"

Silence stretched between the two.

"Everything was supposed to be okay." Ashleigh spoke suddenly. "I thought I was going to be okay." They gestured vaguely at themself. "This is nothing like 'okay'."

"Would you like to talk about it?" The therapist asked.

Ashleigh felt like exploding. Their head pounded painfully. "Who the hell are you? Where am I? Why the hell are you different from five minutes ago?"

"Ashleigh, I am no different from who I was five minutes ago. We have been sitting in these chairs for the past ten minutes. You had made no movement nor acknowledged my attempts to communicate with you. You are attending a therapy session in the hospital you have been staying at and will be staying at for the foreseeable future."

"You didn't answer the first question. Who are you?"

"Your therapist." She said simply. At Ashleigh's exasperated stare, she amended herself. "Dr. Bella Luna."

This was Bella? She didn't look the same as the Bella in the Prison. Ashleigh scanned their memory for any details about Bella. Tattoos. Bella had tattoos. There was one on her right arm, above the elbow. A sun. Ashleigh's eyes fell on therapist Bella. She was taking notes with her right hand, which kept her upper forearm hidden by the clipboard.

"Can I see your right arm? Just to confirm a thing in my head."

It was an odd request, and Bella certainly gave them a look before baring her forearm for Ashleigh to see. Blank.

So subconscious memories wouldn't affect the false worlds they created. So far their false worlds only had them and one other person. Ashleigh suspected that the other therapist may have been Adel. 

"It doesn't make sense. You had a tattoo. You died in the Prison." Ashleigh shook their head in disbelief. "Cleo was distraught over your death."

Bella seemed confused. "How so? I've never met them."

Ashleigh started. "Sorry what? That's false. That's false if I've ever heard it."

They gripped their head tightly. _No, no, no, no, this was all wrong. There's no way Bella and Cleo had never met. Was this another layer in their augmented reality? Could it all still be in their mind? INCEPTION. How many layers deep were they? How had they been so easily fooled?_ The fuzzy feeling they thought was dissociation was the subtle sign of this not being entirely real.

"If I were to fall, right now, I would wake up." They stated, walking over to the balcony.

It was a far enough fall to leave sufficient time to wake up. It also could kill them if they were wrong about this whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick notes!  
> \- This chapter is really confusing to read! From Guppy's perspective, it's meant to be.  
> \- The character 'Fate' is based off the drawing I did of someone in Digitalta. They should know who they are.  
> \- I stole the last name of Bella from Jay! Bella Luna is a character in their story, Fly High, Shoot Guns, Get Stabbed.  
> \- There will be at least 3 or 4 more chapters to this fic! There will definitely be a chapter where this chapter gets better explained from an outside perspective.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! Leave a review or message me if you did! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone who's consented to being in this fic (and to Kae even though she didn't consent)!  
> Thank you to all who have read this weird little idea of mine!  
> Extra thanks to Sketch for putting me in Askaban, where this idea began, to Leo, for giving me advice, to Guppy, my dear main character, and to Evan, for the standardised character information questions. 
> 
> Love you all!! <3 Let me know any criticism or comments you may want to share!


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